Penn Instrument Company Custom Series 15 Watt 112 Combo

Penn Instrument Company Custom Series 15 watt amp - based on a 60's Vox AC15 design - Cathode bias, class A, and 2 EL84's. Hand-built & point-to-point wired Penn Custom Series with one Volume and one Tone knob, On and Stand By switches, and Hi and Lo Input Jacks. VERY simple, straight ahead amp - What more do you really need??? I mean, really??? Well... no tremelo, which would have been nice to round out the complete AC15 experience though I understand that Billy at Penn Inst Co can add that into any special ordered Custom Series Amp.

After playing a Deluxe Reverb for years, I actually prefer the single Volume knob vs. the Gain & Master that the AC15 RI had, so I really didn't find this "Lack of Feature" to be that big of a deal. This amp gets loud fairly quick. I would say that it reaches it's full volume around 10:00 and starts to break-up soon after at about 11:00. This has taken a little getting use to having played the DR for so long, but it's really forcing me to play better and WORK with the amp to stay clean & break up simply by how I play. A very VERY responsive amp.

The single Tone knob was a little tricky at first though as I was use to the Treble & Bass knobs of my previous amps, but after some time I found that my guitars ('74 LP Stnd & '90s Tele Stnd) sounded better with the Tone knob near 3:00 (almost full treble) which seemed to allow more of the full voice of the guitar to come through yet without being shrill or too piercing. After inquiring more about the amp I learned that this tone control is in the preamp section rather than the driver section which gives more flexibility for tone shaping compared to other amps.

Also has a 16 and 8 ohm tap - for use with either type speaker.

Due to it's obviously bare-bones simplicity, I'm goint to rate it a 7 since there is always room to improve & it really would have been nice to have tremelo, but note that few would ever say that they dig Vox-style amps for their versatility... you buy one for its TONE!

Boy OH Boy! Now THIS is what I dreamed my AC15 RI would have sounded like. The clarity and articulation of this amp is something to be experienced. Having only heard '60s AC30's I would have to admit that this amp is probably different from what a true '60s AC15 would sound like as my experience with older Voxs is that they are softer & rounder sounding that this particular amp, but boy does this thing have TONE! From what I've learned, Billy & Penn Inst Co is mainly known for their Fender-style amps - which in my opinion has probably really helped & added a lot to this amp and really given it a sound all it's own. There definitely is a more present low-end than in true Voxs I've heard, which may also be in part to the Weber 12" Blue Dog that came in the amp. The clarity of each of my guitars is something I have never experienced before. The notes shimmer and sparkle - yet sound very full and smooth. Theres definitely the Vox/EL84 compression thing going on too, expecially as you crank the amp into full overdrive-rock mode. I play very Counting Crows influenced rock w/ deviations into more independent minded genres (Idaho, Doves, Karate) - so this amp personality works quite well with a chimming clean sound which breaks up nicely into a very articulate overdrive.

Over the years I've learned that in the kinds of places I play I really didn't need a 4x12 or even a 2x12 amp to be heard in a 3 or 4 piece band as my 1x12 Deluxe Reverb worked quite well. But unfortunately my AC15 RI didn't have this same volume while I desperately wanted the Vox tone w/o having to break my back with an AC30. This was also the concern when stepping into this amp - but once I had a chance to plug in an play it at practice I knew there wasn't going to be any problems. Part of it too is that the TONE from this amp is so good and clear it allows the guitar to really stand out and be heard, not simply through volume but just in how great it sounds.

Since Penn Inst Co mainly builds Fender-style amps, they come from the Fender school of amp construction. Very solid wood-work and simple, solid layout & design. Only issue was with preamp tube being microphonic when I first received it, but that issue was quickly resolved (see below).

I can not overstate how much Billy & Penn Inst Co deserve a "10" for their/his wonderful Customer Support. Very quick & detailed in his email responses to my questions about the amp before I purchased it. Also very quick to respond after i got the amp and started having problems with one of the preamp tubes. He mailed me a replacement right away. Thanks again Billy for your dedication to your customers. Much MUCH appreciated.

I bought this amp from Billy at Penn Inst Co after he listed it on Ebay - and while it technically wasn't a used amp, I did not special order this amp from him as it had been an initial test-run for this kind of amp. Kinda cool to know that (at least at this point) I own a one-of-a-kinda amp.

Originally, I had desperately been wanting to someday upgrade my AC15 Reissue with a real '60s AC15, but over time realized that I didn't have the $$$ or patience to find one I could afford. So I had started looking into custom shop AC15's when I found this one online. Having very little knowledge about Penn Inst Co Amps, I read some reviews here on HC and decided to inquire more about the amp as Penn Inst Co definitely seemed like a stable outfit. After emailing some questions regarding the amp, Billy responded back with enough info and detail for me to take a risk and purchase the amp - and BOY am I glad I did. I can't imagine ever owning another amp that sounds THIS good - this is the sound I've been striving to obtain. Granted, I'm sure down the road I'll buy another amp that sounds "different" but this is what a "GOOD" amp sounds like, and I imagine I'll be playing it for quite some time.